Some nautical terms that you will find throughout this website:
- port
- the left side of a ship, when facing forward
- starboard
- the right side of a ship, when facing forward
The term starboard comes from the days a very long time ago when ships were steered not with a rudder but with a large oar or "steering board" trailed over the right side of the stern.
The left side of a ship was once called larboard, or "loading board". This was the side of the ship that was tied up to the dock for loading, thereby not encumbering the steering gear on the other side. To avoid confusion over the similarity between the two terms, the term port gradually replaced larboard.
The starboard side of a vessel ( or an airplane ) carries a green running light, and the port side carries a red running light. The best way to remember all this is: port, left and red
are all short words, while starboard, right, and green
are all long(er) words.
The front of a ship is the bow, and the back is the stern. Of course, everybody knows that.
posh (posh) adj. 1. stylishly elegant; luxurious: a posh new restaurant.
[1915-20; of obscure orig.; cf. posh a dandy (British slang of c1890)]
-- from Random House Webster's Dictionary
The term posh is actually an acronym for "port outward starboard home." What this means is that for a cruise from England to America, you should book a cabin on the sunny southerly port side of the ship for the trip west, and likewise on the starboard side for the return.
Marine distance measurements are expressed in terms of nautical miles. A nautical mile is significantly different from a common or statute mile. The conversion is 1 nautical mile = 1.151 statute miles, or approximately 6076 ft ( vs. 5280 ft for a statute mile. )
Why such a confounded thing as this? Here's why:
A nautical mile is actually one minute of latitude ( 1/60 degree of north-south measurement ) and is therefore much easier to use for navigational purposes. In this regard, it also makes much more sense than the rather arbitrary metric kilometer. Note that the length of a degree of latitude is invariant with location, unlike the length of a degree of longitude ( east-west, ) which is longest at the equator and zero at the poles!
A knot is one nautical mile per hour. Note that this is a measurement of speed rather than distance, so the often-seen phrase "knots per hour" actually makes no sense. The term knot is derived from the days when a ship's speed was determined by throwing out a drag ( in the earliest days, simply a wooden log ) with a line attached, and counting the amount of line that was paid out over a period of time. Evenly spaced knots were tied in the line for this purpose. Obviously, one knot in the line did not correspond to one nautical mile, but the term has stuck with us through the years, as has the term log, which was originally simply the book in which the measurements of the "log" were kept.
Three nautical miles make a league ( as in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, ) although this is not the only accepted definition. For many years, one league from the shore was considered to be the extent of a nation's maritime domain, based for practical purposes on the range of the artillery of the time. There was no point in claiming something you couldn't defend! Over time, this grew to 12, 50, and finally 200 miles, as nations sought to protect their maritime resources.
Six feet make up a fathom, which is the standard nautical measure of depth. This was originally derived from the approximate length of one's arm span.
The scales on all the charts in this website are in nautical miles, since this is the measure that is quoted in most references.
There are actually several different methods used to determine the tonnage of a vessel, some yielding vastly different results:
Note: these measurements are generally expressed in "long tons" rather than standard tons. The difference is:
1 long ton = 2240 lbs.
1 standard ton = 2000 lbs.
Most dock and port charges are levied upon the Net Register. However, most references on shipping list the Deadweight, while the Lloyds Register of Shipping lists the Gross/Net Register and Deadweight. ( Lloyds Register consists of several volumes which list every vessel built, along with type, size, owner etc, and is the Bible of the shipping industry for insurance purposes. )
Thanks to diver Jerry Granberg of the dive boat CRT II for this information.
I make no claim as to the accuracy, validity, or appropriateness of any information found in this website. I will not be responsible for the consequences of any action that is based upon information found here. Scuba diving is an adventure sport, and as always, you alone are responsible for your own safety and well being.
Copyright © 1996-2008 Rich Galiano
unless otherwise noted
